PK-5 Students to Return to 100% Face-to-Face
PK-5 Students to Return to 100% Face-to-Face This morning, the school board voted for PK-5 students who desire a building-based delivery model to return to 100% face-to-face starting on January 4, 2021. Below, we have outlined what this means for our students in the various delivery models and buildings.
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Masked Hero: Tabitha Wu
Superpower: Stay calm and kind for my students in situations of stress “I believe that EVERY child deserves the best…
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Edwards, Meeker, and Sawyer Elementary to Move to 100% Online Starting Wednesday, November 11
The contents of this message immediately impact families at our elementary schools, but we are sharing with all parents in the District. As a District, we will be applying for approval from the Iowa Department of Education (DE) to move to 100% online remote learning for Edwards, Meeker, and Sawyer Elementary Schools. Pending approval from the DE and our school board, we would move to remote learning for these three schools on Wednesday, November 11. This online remote learning will continue in two-week intervals, which is the maximum that the DE approves at one time.
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Masked Hero: Mark Royer
Superpower: The ability to see the world with childlike wonder. The ability to see the world with childlike wonder is a superpower that transcends time and allows Mark Royer to connect with students on a unique level. “I'm just a big kid disguised as an adult.” Royer has been with the Ames district since 2001 and as a full-time Extended Learning Program (ELP) elementary teacher since 2013.
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Elementary Chromebook Checkout
As a way to support continuous learning while at home and to assist in our voluntary learning plan for the Elementary students, we will be allowing parents/guardians to check-out Chromebooks from their Elementary school for students in all grade levels. We will have set times for pickup at each of the Elementary schools later this week. Parents/Guardians are not required to pick up school computers if you already have a device at home that is meeting your learning needs. Your children can still access their school’s activities through their SeeSaw (K-2nd grade) or Google Classroom (3rd-5th grade) using their school Google account.
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Tanise Colvin named as new Sawyer Elementary Principal
The Ames Community School District is excited to announce Tanise Colvin as the new principal of Sawyer Elementary School. Colvin is currently an Assistant Principal at two middle schools in the Muscatine Community School District, a position she has held since 2017. As an assistant principal in Muscatine, Colvin has experience in multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) and actively led a parent group to address the gaps in educational programming for students who receive special education services. She was responsible for the design and creation of a master schedule, coached teachers to improve instructional practices, and designed professional development for paraprofessionals that were specific to building needs. Colvin also has training in student-centered coaching, professional learning communities, English language proficiency modules, and Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS), an initiative that was rolled out last year in the Ames Community School District.
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Elementary Reading: FUNdations and Reading Units of Study
After an extensive review process including feedback and input from staff, students, and community members, Ames CSD purchased the research-based Reading Units of Study for all EK-5th grade classrooms. Reading Units of Study utilizes a reading workshop model where students spend significant time reading books of their choice and writing about those books. Students also learn with teachers in one on one conferences as well as in small group instructional teams. Finally, collaborative and sharing opportunities are built into the reading workshop.
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Enrich, Empower, Excel Summer School
Summer programming looked a little different this year but provided many of the great courses that families were accustomed to. Two programs within the district (ELP Super Summer and ALP summer school) and two community partners (YSS and United Way of Story County) joined together to create the Enrich, Empower, Excel summer program. Dr. Anthony Jones, Director of Equity and administrator in charge of the summer program said, “The reasons the programs joined together were to ensure all students have equal access to rich learning opportunities and to enhance the academic enrichment provided to all students.”
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Reading Portraits
Genya Coffey and her 1st grade colleagues at Sawyer Elementary are taking time to teach students how to read portraits. “Reading portraits is a great introduction to several important first grade skills such as making careful observations and drawing inferences based on evidence. Using visual literacy makes these skills accessible to every student regardless of their current reading level.” After comparing and contrasting dozens of portraits with partners and reflecting as a whole group, students constructed a working definition of portrait, then began considering where portraits can be found. Students discovered that they can be found just about anywhere. Next, students dug into identifying common elements that can be observed in portraits to help describe them.
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Elementary School Arrival/Dismissal Times
Starting this school year, we are adjusting arrival and dismissal services at all of our elementary schools. Safety and security are of…
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